Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

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Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Ridgey295 » 16 May 2022, 5:40 pm

Gday everyone,

I’ve picked up a tikka roughtech in 7mm rem mag and I’m looking for a scope recommendation, it will be a majority long range target rifle but with some hunting time in a Ute with little scrub wandering

I’ve narrowed down my choices to the Zerotech trace advance 4.5-27x50 and the vortex strike eagle 5-25x56

Tia
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by in2anity » 24 May 2022, 10:10 am

Fair comparison, for which I can provide some real world info (in contrast to the usual annecdotes). The winner of the NSWRA Queens 2021 in the Sporter/Hunter class used a Zerotech scope on a factory Sako 6.5cm. He ran out of elevation at 800m, and had to use markings on his reticle to kentucky his elevation. He still won aggregate for 800m, on day 3, which I thought was pretty phenomenal. Meanwhile I ran the vortex strike eagle 5-25x56, and won silver for aggregate at 800m by a couple of decimals. Really not much in it - I was running a classic 155gr 308 SMK palma load.

The FFP reticle on my strike eagle is useful for PRS matches, or anytime you are quickly switching between distances. Otherwise when you have time to adjust, all that reticle stuff becomes pretty useless. Just dial in and shoot well - that's 99.9% of the battle. Simple, don't shoot when the wind is moving about :P

If you are extremely in tune with the wind (which takes much experience and a high degree of discipline come the days), you can use the horizontal subtensions to correct for possible wind switches. Sometimes I care enough to try and do this. But i'm mostly a TR shooter whereby I just consume might sighters, then wait when the wind is misbehaving. This F-class stuff sure is fun, but not my specialty.

Getting back to OP - aformentioned guy swore by his Zerotech claiming it had greater brightness and clarity, for the pricepoint. I'd be inclined to believe him. Meanwhile my strike eagle is O-K in terms of clarity, but it's not as bright as my older Leupolds, which are smaller obj go figure. Nevertheless the strike eagle is packed with features for the pricepoint - just is a tad milky/dull and quite heavy.

A FFP is helpful for measuring moa at any distance.

All said and done, as an owner of the Strike Eagle, and an admirer of Zerotech, I'd be leaning toward the ZEROTECH TRACE ADVANCED 4.5-27x50mm RMG MOA for roughly the same price.

Hope these point may help you a little.

Cheers,
In2.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Ridgey295 » 24 May 2022, 4:44 pm

Cheers for the reply

I have heard the Zerotech’s are a bit brighter than vortexes from a few different people

What would you say your max usable range would be using your strike eagle? Clarity wise
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by deye243 » 24 May 2022, 9:16 pm

Something to Factor into your purchase is tracking it's far more important than Clarity in a long-range scope if you were going to dial for range and windage .
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by in2anity » 24 May 2022, 9:35 pm

Ridgey I think it really depends on what you intend on shooting. If you are just shooting digital targets in the middle of the day, the strike eagle is more or less adequate out to 1000. But as I mentioned, the strike eagle is really an entry level PRS scope rather than a long range paper punching scope - you certainly don’t see them at NRAA OPMs. But it’s a decent start. Would I recommend a strike eagle for picking up camouflaged fur at 600m on dusk? Probably not… I think that deserves the very best glass.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Ridgey295 » 25 May 2022, 1:54 pm

deye243 wrote:Something to Factor into your purchase is tracking it's far more important than Clarity in a long-range scope if you were going to dial for range and windage .


The research and reviews I have seen on both scopes is they track fine, and return to 0 well as well
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Ridgey295 » 25 May 2022, 1:57 pm

in2anity wrote:Ridgey I think it really depends on what you intend on shooting. If you are just shooting digital targets in the middle of the day, the strike eagle is more or less adequate out to 1000. But as I mentioned, the strike eagle is really an entry level PRS scope rather than a long range paper punching scope - you certainly don’t see them at NRAA OPMs. But it’s a decent start. Would I recommend a strike eagle for picking up camouflaged fur at 600m on dusk? Probably not… I think that deserves the very best glass.


Do you have any recommendations other than those 2 for paper punching, something in the similar price range?
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by in2anity » 25 May 2022, 1:58 pm

Ridgey295 wrote:
deye243 wrote:Something to Factor into your purchase is tracking it's far more important than Clarity in a long-range scope if you were going to dial for range and windage .


The research and reviews I have seen on both scopes is they track fine, and return to 0 well as well


Yup nothin wrong with the tracking, like most modern scopes. You'll always be close to bull if you know your dopes, and tweak from there.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by in2anity » 25 May 2022, 2:08 pm

Ridgey295 wrote:Do you have any recommendations other than those 2 for paper punching, something in the similar price range?

Not really mate - they are both sort of breaking the ground in that uppper-middle area. The meoptas are pretty good too I've heard. You could consider a used, fixed power target scope I guess? They don't come up often though...

Nightforce are heaps popular for F-class. What about this? https://www.thebarn.net.au/Products/Nig ... x56/111233
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Ridgey295 » 01 Jun 2022, 11:07 pm

Thank you in2anity for the replies, I’ll keep my eyes out for second hand fixed power scope
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Boundry Rider » 02 Jun 2022, 8:23 am

I’d be skeptical about bolting on anything made in China on a 7Mag. I think all Vortex is made in China, where is the Zerotech manufacturing?
I’ve killed two American $500+ scopes over the last 10 years on my uncle 7. Now it’s giving my VX3 a hard time launching 154G at 3250fps. That Leopold has been back to NIOA three times as well. (Once for a 29MOA reticle change though).
The next one I bolt on will be a Lynx 5-30. Might be a bit heavy for your field use at 1180G though.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by in2anity » 02 Jun 2022, 10:23 am

afaik zerotech are just re branded bushnells, coming out of the same chinese factory. Will they do the job when your sight picture is ideal? (i.e. a target at long range in the middle of the day). Short answer, yes.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Wm.Traynor » 02 Jun 2022, 7:00 pm

Boundry Rider wrote:The next one I bolt on will be a Lynx 5-30. Might be a bit heavy for your field use at 1180G though.


Good luck, Boundary Rider but the only Lynx I ever owned had a defect in the lens coating on the objective lens. I got rid of the replacement. Things might have changed since then, for the better. That was a fixed 20, BTW and it happened at least 7 years ago.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Boundry Rider » 02 Jun 2022, 10:03 pm

Wm.Traynor wrote:
Boundry Rider wrote:The next one I bolt on will be a Lynx 5-30. Might be a bit heavy for your field use at 1180G though.


Good luck, Boundary Rider but the only Lynx I ever owned had a defect in the lens coating on the objective lens. I got rid of the replacement. Things might have changed since then, for the better. That was a fixed 20, BTW and it happened at least 7 years ago.

:thumbsup: cheers, it better be good for a spend of around $1800. I have a Lynx 16x42 going well ATM on a working rifle.
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by deye243 » 02 Jun 2022, 10:19 pm

Well after 40 years of pro and semi pro shooting the only scopes I or my other shooters will use are either leupold or nightforce never had a problem with either that went to the scope .
Take from that what you will .
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by Boundry Rider » 04 Jun 2022, 6:40 pm

FWIW I just ordered one of these for my 7MAG. Spent last night and today researching and am surprised at the high level of Chinese manufactured optics right now. Not a fan as said earlier.
https://www.thebarn.net.au/Products/Nightforce%20SHV%205-20x56%20-%20ZeroSet%E2%84%A2/13724
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Re: Zerotech or vortex scope recommendation

Post by animalpest » 05 Jun 2022, 4:00 pm

deye243 wrote:Well after 40 years of pro and semi pro shooting the only scopes I or my other shooters will use are either leupold or nightforce never had a problem with either that went to the scope .
Take from that what you will .


Yep, ditto
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